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It is thought the spider, which scurried away after the incident, crept into a box of the bananas whilst it was awaiting shipment to the UK from a warehouse.

It was horrifying to think my boy was hospitalised because of a spider

Kellie Knight

But the youngster's mother Kellie Knight, 29, of Bishop Auckland, County Durham said: "It was horrifying to think my boy was hospitalised because of a spider hiding in the bananas. It was absolutely terrifying.

"The spider had already scurried away when we heard Evan screaming. But his hand blew like a balloon and he was crying for dear life. We had just had no idea what was going until we got to the hospital and doctors said it was a spider bite.

"We didn't know whether it was a Tarantula, a Black Widow or a Huntsman spider. We were determined not fear the worst but Evan looked so poorly and I wished it was me who was bitten.

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Evan was tucking into a banana when he was bitten by a spider leaving him in excruciating pain

"There is nothing worse than seeing your child like that and not being able to do anything to help. The doctor said it's a bite he had never seen anything like it before."

The incident occurred on February 3 after Kellie, 29, bought the bananas from her local store.

Her eldest son John-Paul had picked the fruit up from the kitchen to take to school, but then Evan decided he wanted it for himself.

Ms Knight added: "My oldest son opened it for him in the living room and handed the banana to Evan but no sooner had he done that than he began screaming 'mummy mummy.'

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The young boys mother was horrified as Evan's hand began to swell immediately

"I hadn't seen the spider myself and had no idea what was going on.

"Evan threw the banana across the sofa and I knew something was wrong.

"He wouldn't calm down and when I noticed that his hand was swelling up immediately I had to do something - although at that time I never thought it could have been a spider bite."

The family went to Bishop Auckland Hospital but when his hand began to swell further he was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham.

It was there doctors and nurses began treating Evan with antibiotics to fight off the infection.

They kept him in for two days with his mother by his side.

Ms Knight, a stay at home mum, said: "I was reading things on the internet and read that certain spiders were killing people within two hours. You can't imagine what it's like to read those things.

"I thought the worst at that moment, just thought that the poison could travel up to his organs. When you start Googling things, it doesn't help.

"The wound started on the palm of his hand, it was red, very swollen and very hard to touch. Then it spread up his finger and across the top of his hand. His hand was very sweaty all the time.

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He spent two days in hospital where doctors treated the incident as a spider bite

"I was very shocked as you can imagine, I've got four children living in the house and if it's still in here then there could be a risk to someone, someone else could get bitten.

"It was hurting him constantly, you couldn't touch it or bump it. Even when he was asleep he was holding it in the air out of the way.

She continued: "At first he was just upset, then I noticed the swelling and lump. He didn't know what was going on apart from having no use of his hand, it was really distressing for him.

"He had an awful experience, especially being so young. Even my older children were terrified to go back into the house. They thought the spider could still be inside and didn't want to go back.

"I've been told to contact Environmental Health to get it seen to and get someone in to sort the house out, just in case."

The store involved later offered the family four free hampers and £400 in cash as a gesture.